CHARLI: A phase Ib/II trial of ipilimumab-nivolumab-denosumab or nivolumab-denosumab in patients with unresectable stage III and IV melanoma.
Authors: Peter Kar Han Lau, Samuel John Harris, Melissa A. Eastgate, Damien Kee, Andrew Mant, Louise M. Nott, Craig Gedye, Andrisha Jade Inderjeeth, Craig Underhill, Alison Margaret Weppler, Roslyn Wallace, Belinda Lee, George Au-Yeung, Narelle Williams, Daniel Ariza Ospino, Louise Gonzales, Mark J. Shackleton, Serigne N. Lo, Grant A. McArthur, Shahneen Sandhu
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023)

9525 Background: Denosumab (deno) is an antibody directed against Receptor Activator of NF Kappa-b ligand (RANKL) with established indications as a bone anti-resorptive agent in several cancers. Pre-clinical studies and several case series suggest anti-RANKL can enhance the anti-tumor effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors possibly via modulation of Treg and M2 macrophages. We did a multicentre phase Ib/II trial (NCT03161756) to investigate the safety and efficacy of deno in combination with nivolumab (nivo) or ipilimumab-nivolumab (ipi-nivo). Methods: Patients (pts) with unresectable stage III or IV melanoma were recruited to either Arm A (nivo-deno) or Arm B (ipi-nivo-deno) as first-line therapy. In Arm A pts received nivo 3 mg/kg IV q2 weekly for 4 doses and deno 120 mg SC on D1, D8, D15, D29 and then maintenance nivo 480 mg IV with deno 120 mg SC q 4 weekly. In Arm B pts received combined ipi 3mg/kg with nivo 1 mg/kg IV 3 weekly for 4 doses with deno 120 mg SC on D1, D8, D15, D29 followed by 4 weekly maintenance nivo 480 mg with deno 120 mg. Co-primary endpoints were median PFS and grade 3-4 treatment related adverse events (TRAE) of interest. Secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS). Results: 27 pts (15 males, median age 67 years, 48% (13/27) stage IVM1c, 26% elevated LDH, 31% BRAF V600 mutant) were enrolled in Arm A and 24 of 25 evaluable pts (16 males, median age 62, 46% (11/24) stage IVM1c, 13% (3/24) stage IVM1d, 30% elevated LDH and 33% BRAF V600 mutant) were enrolled in Arm B. Median follow up was 30.8 months (m) for Arm A and 24.8 m for Arm B. The RECIST 1.1 ORR was 56% (n=15/27, 15% [4/27] complete responses [CR] and 41% [11/27] partial response [PR]) for Arm A and 71% (17/24, 25% [6/24) CR and 46% [11/24] PR) for Arm B. The median PFS in both arms has not been reached with 12 month PFS rates of 59% (95%CI: 43-81) and 63% (95%CI: 46-88) for Arms A &amp; B, respectively. Grade 3-4 TRAE were 11% (3/27) in Arm A and 71% (17/24) in Arm B. Common TRAE (≥10%) in Arm A was rash (52%), pruritus (30%), fatigue (26%), nausea (19%), diarrhoea/colitis (15%), arthralgia (11%), vitiligo (11%), hyperthyroidism (11%). Common TRAE (≥10%) in Arm B included rash (63%), fatigue (54%), diarrhoea/colitis (54%), hepatitis (46%), hyperthyroidism (29%), pneumonitis (29%), pruritus (25%), increased GGT (17%), hypothyroidism (17%), hypocalcaemia (13%). Arm B G3-4 TRAE included diarrhoea/colitis (25%), pneumonitis (17%) and hepatitis (13%). Conclusions: Nivo-deno and ipi-nivo-deno had numerically similar G3-4 TRAE compared to nivo and ipi-nivo. The median PFS, 12 month PFS and ORR for nivo-deno and ipi-nivo-deno are encouraging compared with CHECKMATE 067. Clinical trial information: NCT03161756 . [Table: see text]